747-100 NASA SCA retirement. One down, one to go

[TFaudree_ERAU]

According to Dulles tower on LiveATC.net, ETA is 09:35.

Edit:
Live feed on NASA TV
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

 

[HerrGruyere]

Just saw the shuttle fly over my building!

 

[killbilly]

We thought about going to IAD to watch the flyover and then had a better idea.

We biked across the Mason bridge to the trail along the GW parkway and the river, and set up alongside the riverbank. The girl rented a 400mm zoom lens for the day, so we waited and then we got some REALLY good shots as the SCA made a number of laps/low passes around the city. We did not have to deal with traffic at all by doing this.

I'm telling ya - a bicycle and the Metro are far better than a car in this town.

I'll post some links/shots as soon as she has them. She's pulling them off the camera now...

 

[HerrGruyere]

Oh man trying to drive anytime in this area just blows. Everywhere is a parking lot before 10:00 a.m. and after 2:30 p.m. But you had the right idea heading to the Mason Bridge along the GW Pkwy. It looked as though the SCA just flew the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.

Man, I wish I had my camera out when it passed. I didn't expect it to fly this close since I'm in Bethesda, but it flew right over our building at what looked about 1,500 feet. It was amazing.

 

[killbilly]

Oh man trying to drive anytime in this area just blows. Everywhere is a parking lot before 10:00 a.m. and after 2:30 p.m. But you had the right idea heading to the Mason Bridge along the GW Pkwy. It looked as though the SCA just flew the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.

Man, I wish I had my camera out when it passed. I didn't expect it to fly this close since I'm in Bethesda, but it flew right over our building at what looked about 1,500 feet. It was amazing.

I posted a new thread under pics from the road. The first shot actually came up behind us over the trees - we would have seen it sooner if we hadn't been down the embankment. The head-on shot is from the second or third lap they did around the city.

 

[HerrGruyere]

Your pics really demonstrate how massive that plane is.

 

[TripSix]

i got to see the shuttle on the 747 in flight. i was still in the USAF at Davis Monthan and it was either STS-5 or STS-6 comming back from KEDW. i was working local control and i get a call from a NASA1 Heavy. ask him what i could do for him since we didnt have an inbound strip on any NASA flight that day. he asked me if i ever saw the shuttle on the back of the 747, "well no sir " i said . he comes back with "look out west and youll see us comming over head in a few minutes.one of the coolest things i ever saw watching that big fly by ,boy only wish i had my camera that day.

My experience went something like this:

Me: Out of the turn you'll have traffic, 2 o'clock, 6 miles, Northwest bound, (un-suppressing the data block), is a...uh...a Uhm...(no clue what the type was, I think it was typed as experimental)...uh..something heavy that belongs to NASA at one one thousand, they will stay above you."

The most excited Eagle pilot I've ever heard: It's a Boeing jet with a space shuttle on it!!!!!!!!!! *slight pause* Uh, in sight we're level at ten!!!!!!!

Begged myself off position and got to see it short final and in the roll.

'Twas stunning.

 

[LatitudeDancer]

Neat machines. One of the earliest toys I can remember having as a child was a matchbox 747 and Enterprise. Played with that thing so much the paint was gone -- it was down to bare metal...

.....ditto

Here's NASA's photo stream of it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35067687@N04

Wonder if the Shuttle would hurt/help engine(s) out procedures from an aerodynamic standpoint.

 

[MikeD]

Wonder if the Shuttle would hurt/help engine(s) out procedures from an aerodynamic standpoint.

It would provide alot of extra thrust!

 

[LatitudeDancer]

It would provide alot of extra thrust!

LOL, exactly. The whole time I was watching it fly around today I couldn't help but to think about that move where the Buran mounted in a similar configuration took off from its airborn carrier (not an AN-225 in the movie though). Can't remember what movie that was though. Kept waiting for it to blast off today.

 

[Mark815]

I'm glad they didn't "restore" the shuttle to make it look all clean. I love that it's still all messy from it's last flight.

 

[SeanD]

Is this one going to the DC Air and Space museum or the one at IAD? I have to say, seeing the Enterprise at the Udvar museum is one of the coolest aviation displays I have ever seen. I couldn't believe the size of the thing. I'm with Mark, I hope they keep it dirty.

 

[MQAAord]

Discovery will take Enterprise's place at Udvar-Hazy. Enterprise will be going to New York.

Here's the breakdown of the orbiter's final resting places: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/shuttle_station/features/shuttle_homes.html

 

[v1valarob]

I watched it from the side of route 28 outside of IAD. I was shocked at the amount of people that cared about this. It was pretty amazing.